AP classes will raise the "wow" factor of a student's high school record. If a student does well in an AP class, it's a signal to admissions counselors that he or she is ready for the pressures of college study. Arrive at college better prepared. AP classes sharpen students' writing skills, teach them how to think critically, and improve their problem-solving abilities. AP students learn to navigate the academic expectations they'll encounter in college courses.
Earn college credit. AP exams are scored on a scale of 1 lowest through 5 highest. If a student earns a 3 or higher, he or she can receive course credits, advanced placement, or both upon arriving at college. AP policies vary from school to school, but the majority of colleges in the U. Win scholarships. AP courses and exam scores help students qualify for scholarships. According to The College Board, 31 percent of colleges and universities look at AP experience when making scholarship decisions.
Save money. Students with AP experience and credits are more likely to graduate from college in four years. Extra semesters or years at college can put a heavy financial burden on families. Before choosing to enroll your child in an AP course, consider these factors: Your child's past performance in the subject area.
If a student has always excelled at science, AP Chemistry may be a great idea. On the other hand, if he or she tends to struggle in math, AP Calculus might be too much of an ordeal. Your child's skills. AP courses in the humanities-English, history, philosophy, etc. Is your student prepared for long, difficult reading assignments, multiple essays, and in-depth research papers? Your child's schedule.
Your child's GPA. College admissions officers want to see students taking challenging courses, but they also want to see strong grades. If your child is worried about maintaining decent grades in an AP course, it might be wise to stay with an honors course. Rest assured — there are easy ways to pursue AP courses outside of your traditional high school. At CGA, we believe in a learning approach based on competency and maturity, not age.
This means students are free to unlock their full potential in studying advanced coursework. To chat with a CGA enrollment advisor about available AP courses as well as the time and financial commitment, please fill out this form! And to learn more about how Crimson can help strengthen your college application in other areas, from essay assistance to extracurricular mentoring and more, click the link below to schedule a free consultation with one of our expert Academic Advisors.
Written by. Shannon F. Shannon has a passion for environmental and social justice and immersing herself in new cultures. Shannon currently lives in California and enjoys reading, water polo, hiking, yoga, and traveling. When applying to universities in the US, Advanced Placement courses and strong AP test scores can provide a significant advantage — especially if your sights are set on the Ivy League or similarly competitive schools.
Read on to learn about the benefits of AP classes, how many to take, and how international students can access AP curricula from anywhere in the world! Written by Shannon F. Ready to chat with an admissions expert about your AP plans?
I want to get started! SAT vs. ACT: What's the difference and which test should you take? Our Services Admissions Support. Educational Tours. About Us Our Mission. Crimson Loyalty Program. The bottom line is to take the most challenging cour se load you can handle while also doing very well academically. Your target schedule could also look different if you spend a huge amount of time on one activity, like playing an instrument or doing a sport, speech and debate, or college-level research.
This is especially true if you compete or participate at a national level. When choosing AP classes, prioritize subjects that are genuinely interesting to you and you would like to continue in college before you choose AP classes just for the sake of AP.
Also, think about your grade level and experience with AP classes before signing up. Don't jump into four AP classes your sophomore year if you've never taken them before. Learning how to study for the exams and pacing yourself is tough. This can be hard with just one or two exams, let alone a handful. Plus, in many subjects you won't be able to acquire the necessary pre-requisites for AP courses until your junior and senior year.
For example, AP English is usually taught junior or senior year, most students won't have the pre-requisites for AP Calculus until junior year at least, and for the sciences—Biology, Chemistry, and Physics—most high schools have a recommended sequence that doesn't have students taking the AP courses until sophomore year at the very earliest. This is why many students begin with courses like AP Human Geography or Psychology in freshman or sophomore year.
The exams are comparatively less difficult, and younger students are more likely to have completed prerequisite courses for them. If you do well on the first exam or exams you take, you can consider taking on more in junior and senior year, but again, be careful about overloading.
How do you know if you've overdone it? Don't give into peer pressure—just because you have a friend who has taken 10 AP exams doesn't mean you have to do the same. Again, one extra AP class won't make or break your admissions chances, but if it causes your GPA to fall or your performance in extracurriculars to suffer, it could be hurting you.
Your score on that will have a huge effect on your admissions chances— as well as scholarship eligibility at other schools. Finally, have back-up plans ready when you sign up for classes. For example, if you start BC Calculus but realize it's too tough, see if it's possible to transfer down to AB Calculus. Also be prepared to switch into an honors or regular classes if an AP class is eating up too much of your life and hurting your GPA. Talk to your guidance counselor before signing up for AP classes to find out the protocol for changing your schedule mid-year.
We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools , from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in.
Is it possible to study for an AP exam on your own? Is it worth it? It's actually not uncommon for students to not take an AP class but study on their own and just take the AP exam. This often happens if a school doesn't offer a more niche AP, like Art History or Latin, or if a certain AP class doesn't fit into your schedule.
Here's the thing: self-studying only works if you are very disciplined. Most students who take AP exams have taken a class for the whole year, and all of the assignments and tests that come with it, to prepare.
Replicating that on your own can be tough, especially if you have a full class schedule and other commitments. Be prepared to plan ahead to fit a self-studied AP exam into your schedule. That said, if there is a topic you are really interested in but can't take, and you are committed to self-studying, that kind of initiative and self-discipline is very impressive, especially to colleges—if you pass the exam. I would wait to self-study until you have already taken at least one AP exam through a class.
That way you will have an idea of how much you need to learn and what it takes to study for an AP exam. Also talk to your guidance counselor and ask if they know of any students at the school who have successfully self-studied for an AP exam. At the very least you should have a prep book for the exam you're taking, but if possible, try to find the following:. You can't self-study for an AP exam in just a few months.
Create monthly content goals. You can do this based on units or sections in your prep book. Remember to schedule time for practice exams in the spring! Build your self-study into your schedule like it's a class or extracurricular activity.
By doing a steady amount of work each week, you will have time to learn enough content to do well on the exam and won't face a time-crunch in the spring.
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